Short hair doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with gorgeous highlights! In fact, adding highlights to your short tresses can bring depth, dimension, and a fresh look for any season. Here’s an easy-to-follow guide on how to do highlights on short hair.

What You’ll Need:

– Hair color highlighting kit (containing a hair color brush, mixing bowl, gloves, and cap)

– Lightening agent or bleach powder

– Developer (peroxide)

– Hair color of your choice

– Tint brush

– Foil or plastic wrap

– Rat tail comb

– Toner (optional)

– Shampoo and conditioner

Step 1: Prepare Your Hair

Wash your hair the day before highlighting to remove excess oils, but avoid using conditioner. This will help the color adhere better to your strands.

Step 2: Choose Your Highlighting Technique

Decide if you want subtle or bold highlights. For subtle and natural-looking highlights, use the cap method. For more dramatic and precise highlights, opt for the foil method.

Step 3: Mix the Lightening Agent and Developer

Follow the instructions provided in your hair color kit to mix the lightening agent and developer. The strength of the developer influences how light your highlights turn out; a higher volume developer creates more lift in color.

Step 4: Section Your Hair

Divide your hair into sections to ensure even coverage. Use a rat tail comb to part your hair down the middle from front to back or side to side depending on your preference.

Step 5: Apply the Lightening Agent

If you’re using the cap method, pull thin strands of hair through the holes in the cap. Apply the lightening agent with a tint brush evenly over these strands.

For foil enthusiasts, use the comb’s end to pick up small sections of hair. Place a sheet of foil or plastic wrap under the hair strand and apply the lightening agent with a tint brush. Then, fold the foil to cover it entirely.

Step 6: Let It Set

Check the recommended processing time in your highlighting kit, but keep an eye on your hair to ensure it doesn’t over-process. Conduct a strand test every five minutes to make sure the highlights are reaching the desired level of lightness.

Step 7: Rinse and Tone (Optional)

Rinse your hair thoroughly with lukewarm water. If you notice any brassiness or undesired tones, you can use a toner to neutralize these hues.

Step 8: Shampoo and Condition

Gently wash your hair using shampoo and conditioner designed for color-treated hair.

Step 9: Style Your Short Hair

Style your fresh new highlights as desired – whether you prefer a sleek bob or a tousled updo, your dimensional highlights are sure to shine!

And there you have it – a simple, step-by-step guide to achieving stunning highlights on short hair. Embrace those gorgeous tresses and let your personality shine!